Labor Day, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah, and now Columbus Day--enough with the holidays by Amanda Rivera
A new semester means a fresh start and a chance to improve ourselves, but CUNY students are finding it hard to get back into a studious groove with the recent days off.Public schools and jobs all over New York City have been closed for Labor Day, Jewish holidays and now Columbus Day. Some City College services remain open for religious holidays, such as the NAC library, but students still feel disrupted.“With classes closed, as are many of the offices,” observes Hunter Media major Jesse Convertino, 24. "So much downtime can really interrupt students that need those resources, especially [with] only being in school for a month.”“It feels as though I’m not even in school,” complains art history major Krystal Fernandez, 23. She worries that the break will affect upcoming midterm exams. “I’ve missed two classes that I only have once a week, twice. It’s going to be disorientating to go back next week.”Hostos Community College nursing student Lisette De Los Santos, 22, also feels the pressure. “We’re late in work and professors are trying to jam everything in.”MCA Professor Irina Lapin teaches market research once a week and sympathizes with students. “I think information is best based delivered in consistent small batches rather than having the gap in between," she explains. "I think for me, the schedule doesn’t make that much of a difference but for [them] it’s a little distracting.”Fortunately, students have attempted to make the best of their days off. “The time off gives me chances to organize and prioritize my work load on my own terms,” admits Covertino.De Los Santos has used her time in a different way: “It gave me time to catch up on sleep.”